His Saving Grace
by ButterbeerOnBakerStreet
Summary: His daughter was here, her warm hand in his again, and they were going to be together, a family. No more Wonderland, no more searching or helplessly watching from the outside. He had his Grace back. A multi-chap taking place from when Jefferson is reunited with Grace, following their untold story.
1. Reunion

"Grace?"

His voice floated out from him, as if the words came from someone else's lips. Why had he come here? There was no way she would want to see him again, not after he'd broken his promise and left her. She'd had a new life, new parents, for twenty-eight years. Surely she wouldn't choose him over them.

At the sound of his voice, Grace turned her head almost automatically, recognition in her eyes, and Jefferson's breath caught in his throat. An enormous grin split across his daughter's face, and he couldn't help but mirror the expression. She was so beautiful.

"Papa!" Grace ran toward him and threw her small arms around his neck. Jefferson's heart swelled at the obvious glee in her high voice. He buried his face in her honey-colored curls and tried not to cry. "You found me, Papa. I knew you would."

"Of course I did, baby, I always will." He stood up, keeping an iron hold around her waist, giving up on stemming the flow of tears from his eyes. He pulled back far enough to look into her chocolate eyes. Her mother's. She wiped her little thumb across his cheek.

"Don't cry. We're together now, everything will be all right."

"I think you're right, Grace," he murmured. "It will." He placed her gently back down on the pavement, but kept both of her hands in his calloused palms. "Were you headed back...home?" Even as she stood right before him, it hurt to think of her other family. She nodded.

"I was, but now you can come too. Mr. and Mrs. Brookshire know I've been looking for you. They'll let me go with you. Besides, you're my home, Papa. Unless…"

"Unless what, baby?"

"You do want me to come and live with you now, don't you?"

Her uncertainty made his chest ache. Jefferson pulled her against his chest and stroked her long hair. "More than anything. I just wanted to make sure it's what you want, that's all." Relieved, Grace took one of his rough hands and lead him towards the 8th house on Drury.

Grace tugged her father up the stairs to her residence of almost thirty years. She threw the door open and bounded inside, tossing her school bag in the corner out of habit, earning a pang from Jefferson's heart. She acted like she owned the place, another reminder of the home she had found without him.

"Mom, Dad?" she called out, leading her Papa into the sitting room, where the Brookshires sat reading the daily paper. Mr. Brookshire choked on the tea he was sipping at the sight of Jefferson in his living room.

"Good God, is it really you?" He hastily folded his paper and stood, offering his hand. "Myles Brookshire."

"Jefferson, and I'm just as dazed as you. I'm glad to finally meet the couple responsible for my Grace's happiness all these years. There's no possible way for me to express my gratitude." He turned to Myles's wife, who introduced herself as Rosalie, and bowed deeply.

"The pleasure was ours sir," said Rosalie, rising and grasping his hand. "Your daughter is an angel. I assume you'll want to go home with your papa?" She smiled kindly at Grace, who rushed forward and embraced her adoptive mother.

"Thank you, Mom. I'm sorry, but I have to. Promise you'll come visit?"

"As often as we can, honey." Mr. Brookshire wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter. Jefferson looked at the ground and shuffled his feet. When the little family broke apart, Grace announced that she was going to go collect her possessions from her bedroom upstairs.

"I've had all my things packed since the curse was broken," she said softly, smiling up at them. Her mother offered to help, leaving Myles and Jefferson alone in the parlor.

"Thank you-" he began, but Mr. Brookshire cut him off.

"I know. Just make sure she knows how much you love her. When we all woke up, and you didn't come for her, she thought at first that maybe you weren't here, in Storybrooke, that maybe you were still in the Enchanted forest. But she never gave up. I can't imagine how relieved you both must be. Take good care of our Paige."

"Always, Mr. Brookshire. And please, don't hesitate to come visit next door, I know she'll miss you both so much." As the men shook hands again, Grace and Rosalie came bounding down the staircase, each of them carrying a suitcase.

Jefferson waited on the porch while his daughter said goodbye to her former parents. When she came out, and shut the door softly behind her, it sunk in. His daughter was here, her warm hand in his again, and they were going to be together, a family. No more Wonderland, no more searching or helplessly watching from the outside. He had his Grace back.

"Come on, baby, let's go home."


	2. Homecoming

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Any and all feedback is welcome. If there's any particular prompt or scene you want to see, just let me know either by PM or review. It's a bit slow right now, but I'll try to bring in other Once characters to the story and think of some more exciting chapters. Thanks for reading!**

At house number 316, the door swung open and Jefferson led Grace through the wide entryway, holding his breath. He sneaked a glance down at his daughter. Her eyes were filled with wonder. She dropped his hand and ran into the front room.

"Papa, is this really all yours?" she asked, running her hand over the glossy grand piano.

"All of it. Too much of it. Imagine me here in this big old house, playing a waltz with no one to listen." He said it lightheartedly, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. "But now that you're here, maybe I'll play one for you later, and you can teach me how to dance." He brought his feet together and bent his knees in a comical impression of a plie, earning a giggle from Grace. He knew the Brookshires had been taking her to ballet every week for years, and he could see how happy it made her. "But that's later," he said, waving his hand nonchalantly. "Right now, it's your job to pick a bedroom. Whichever one you'd like."

Grace beamed at him and followed him to the second level. She took her time, peering through each doorway she passed. She studied the walls, tested the beds, checked the closets for spiders. Jefferson was content to watch her peruse the chambers. She was very thorough. At the last door at the end of the hall, when she had finished testing the window for creaks, she turned to her father and asked, "Which room is yours?"

He grinned and pointed to the third door on the left, through which was visible the corner of a well-tucked bedspread and a shelf full of books. She deliberated for a moment, before casually walking over and laying her hand on the frame of the second door on the left, right next to his. He chuckled.

"Good choice. This one doesn't have as many dust bunnies. I'll be just a second." Jefferson trotted back downstairs and returned a moment later with Grace's suitcases.

"We can do that later Papa, but first, can we have some tea?" She looked uncertain, but hopeful, no doubt remembering the last time they were going to have tea.

"Of course, baby." He knelt down and took her hands in his. "We can have our tea party now. And we can..talk...about what happened." He pressed his lips to her forehead, and stood to take her down to the kitchen.

.

.

.

Now holding a steaming mug of chamomile, Grace sat on the kitchen counter, and Jefferson, holding his own tea, leaned against the cabinets beside her. He needed to tell her everything that had happened, but he didn't know where to begin. He just sipped and thought and studied Grace when he thought she wasn't looking.

"Papa, I know you're staring at me." She turned and smiled at her father.

"I haven't seen you up close in twenty-eight years, the least you could do is let me admire my pretty little girl."

"Up close?"

Jefferson sighed and rubbed her back. "Grace, when Regina put the curse on us, we all forgot our memories. None of us remembered our friends or family, or who we were in the Enchanted Forest. Except for me." He was quiet for a moment before pressing on. "The Queen put a...special curse on me." And he told her everything, about his hats, and magic, and Wonderland. He pulled her closer at some parts of his story, and stepped away from her out of shame at others. When he did try to move away, Grace just grabbed his hand. When he was finished, with tears in his eyes, the afternoon light was fading and his daughter was wrapped in his arms.

"Oh Papa, I'm so sorry. You were here all along? All alone?" She was crying too, now.

"I was, sweetheart, but not anymore. You're here, and that's all I ever wanted."

.

.

.

Jefferson's eyes snapped open. He was lying in bed, the house was quiet, but something had woken him up. He tossed back his old quilt and shuffled to the door. Peering into the hallway, he could see nothing amiss, but just to be sure, he tiptoed over to Grace's door and pushed it open a crack. He could just barely make out her sleeping form in the glow from the nightlight on her desk. Her hair was splayed around her on the pillow, and her chest rose and fell evenly. He cast a quick glance around her room to see that all was well, and turned to shut the door.

Just as it was about to click closed, the tiniest of whimpers escaped Grace's lips. Jefferson spun around and was at her side in an instant. Her brow was creased and and her chin was trembling. Her father reached out and shook her shoulder as gently as possible. Grace's eyes flew open. She lay shuddering, and Jefferson took her face in his hands and tried to calm her.

"Shh, baby, you're alright. It was just a dream, I'm right here."

"Papa? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You don't have to apologize for having a nightmare, darling." He stroked her dark blonde curls away from her face. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Grace shook her head. "I don't really remember it. I just missed you, Papa. I don't want you to go away again."

Jefferson could feel his heart breaking in two. He curled one of her small fists between his palms and kissed her knuckles. "Grace," he began slowly. "I won't ever leave you again. I left you once, and lost you for far too long. Believe me, baby, I'm not going anywhere."

And he didn't. He sat on the floor by her bed and held her hand until she drifted off. He couldn't bring himself to let go, so he stayed with her until the sky turned pink.


	3. Apologies

**A/N: So this one's a little short, but I wanted to include this scene. I wanted Jefferson to make things right with everyone. In the next, chapter, there'll be a few more of the townspeople. Anyway, thanks for sticking with it, and, love it or hate it, please review!**

Having his Grace back in his life was an even greater blessing than Jefferson had imagined. They fell into an effortless pattern of life together. He walked her to the bus stop every morning, and met her there every afternoon. He took her to ballet on Mondays. He was slowly teaching her how to play the piano. Life was perfectly uneventful.

On an autumn day a few weeks after moving in, Grace brought Henry Mills home with her. Jefferson was glad she was making friends, especially with Henry. He still hadn't thanked the boy for convincing him to find Grace.

"Hi, Jefferson. It's good to see you looking a bit more cheerful." He grinned up at him. "Don't worry, my mom knows I'm here. She'll be by to pick me up later."

Emma. He hadn't seen her since the awful night of Mary Margaret's escape from the police station. Jefferson recalled all of that evening's events, and he was filled with remorse. Then there was the fiasco with the poisoned apple. He had a lot left to apologize for. Maybe he would get the chance later. The last thing he wanted was the people of Storybrooke thinking of him as the dangerous madman on the hill, incapable of taking care of his daughter.

Jefferson stayed inside and plunked on the piano, working on his newest song for Grace, while the two classmates played with Henry's wooden swords out in the garden. Their laughter and occasional shouts of "take that!" and "en guard!" bubbled over the hedges and through the open french doors, bringing a smile to Jefferson's face. It had been ages without the presence of children around, and boy, had he missed it. Eventually, the pair grew tired enough to come inside for a snack, and Grace ran upstairs to grab a DVD for them to watch.

"Henry," Jefferson called. "I need to thank you. It was stupid of me to even entertain the thought of not reaching out to Grace. I'm sorry I was a little...gruff. You were right. If it wasn't for you I'd still be here all alone."

Henry smiled. "Of course I was right. People need to start listening to me more often. I'm just glad it only took you a few days. I spent almost a year trying to convince my mom."

Jefferson laughed. "I'm glad too, kid, now go find Grace."

.

.

.

Emma's yellow bug pulled up just as _The Princess Bride_ was ending (they wanted to see the swordfights). Jefferson met her at the door and politely held it open, inviting her inside. He could see that it made her uncomfortable being back here. She understood and believed him now that the curse was broken, but she'd had a hard time forgetting the spiked tea and the ensuing grapple. Henry greeted her brightly, which she returned, albeit a bit forced.

"Henry, why don't you go say goodbye to Grace? I want to talk to Jefferson." Henry just nodded and went back into the sitting room.

"Emma, before you say anything, let me apologize." His voice was low, so neither of their children could hear. "I never wanted to hurt you, or Mary Margaret. I just got so," he searched for the right words. "Fixated. On finding a way. I guess I went a little mad after all." He smiled sheepishly.

"No, it's okay. I wanted to say I'm sorry, too. You didn't really have a choice. I might've done the same if I was in your position. And you were telling the truth, I just refused to see it."

He felt even worse that Emma thought she had anything to apologize for. "Well, I might have been honest, but I did drug you, and hold you captive, and threaten you with a gun. I must have seemed completely off my rocker." He laughed again.

Emma returned his smile. "No permanent damage, no hard feelings." She shifted her attention to Henry and Grace, sitting on the same pillow she'd passed out on. "Grace seems like a really great girl. She's welcome at ours anytime. Come on, Kid, it's a school night!" she called over to Henry.

"See ya tomorrow, Grace." Henry stood up and joined his mom by the front door. "Thanks for having me over, Jefferson.

"Anytime, Henry. And thanks, again." He closed the door softly and strolled over to the piano. "While you two were busy hacking each other to pieces, I wrote you a new song. Wanna learn it?" He sat at the bench and patted the space next to him. Grace jumped up and plopped on the seat, her fingers already hovering over the keys, mimicking her Papa's. When Grace first moved in, she would hear him playing, somber, sorrowful melodies when he thought she was asleep. This one, on the contrary, sounded hopeful. It was the brightest, liveliest, happiest tune that Jefferson could think up.


	4. Birthday

**A/N: I'm trying to keep this as close to cannon as possible, but I did use my own theory as to how time worked during the curse, and guessed on Grace's approximate age. As always, feedback is appreciated!**

"Wait! Close your eyes!" He pushed the cupcake across the table, shielding the flames of the candle with his hand. They sat in the corner booth at Granny's, Grace's eyes covered by her hands and Jefferson's shining with excitement. Ordinarily they would have eaten breakfast at home, and been on their way to the bus stop by now, but today wasn't just any Tuesday. It was Tuesday, October 23, and more importantly, Grace's eleventh birthday.

Jefferson had to watch his daughter's tenth birthday every year for nearly three decades. Some years they just had cake at home, others they had thrown her a lavish party out on the lawn with her entire class in attendance. He could observe the festivities, but never partake in them. This year, her first real birthday after 28 repeats, he was determined to make it special.

"Can I look now, Papa?" She smiled and peeked out between two of her fingers.

"Oh, alright," Jefferson said in mock exasperation. "You're getting too old to be this impatient. How old are you again? 82, 83?" He winked at her. "Well, they say a lady never reveals her true age, so let's go with 29."

Grace giggled and blew out the candle.

"You didn't make a birthday wish! Do over!" Jefferson pulled another match out of his booklet and was about to strike it when Grace stayed his hand.

"It's okay, I didn't need to make a wish. All I need is you, Papa," she said, echoing her remark the last time they saw each other.

He smiled at her. "I know you don't think you need anything, but isn't there something you want? I'm trying to spoil you rotten, and you're not making it any easier for me. How about a party?"

Grace looked up from her cupcake eagerly. Now he'd gotten her attention. "Okay, a party then! But it doesn't have to be big. I never liked the fancy parties Mr. and Mrs. Brookshire used to give."

"It can be as big or small as you can invite anyone you'd like to today at school." Jefferson flung a bill on the table and pulled back his sleeve to look at his watch. "Which you should have been at ten minutes ago."

.

.

.

A party. He would make this one perfect.

Jefferson was back at Granny's, brainstorming gift ideas for grace, on his third cup of earl grey. He picked her up a new tea set a week before, but he needed something else.

Ruby materialized by his table. "Do you want a scone, or something, Jeff?" Since regaining his daughter, the town recluse ventured out of his mansion more often, and had become something of a regular at the diner.

"Just tea's fine." Ruby turned to leave. "Wait, Ruby. You were a little girl once, too. Any chance you'd know what one would like on her birthday?"

Ruby grinned at him. "How about...a doll? Or a new dress?"

"No, she's got more dresses than she knows what to do with, and she's always preferred animals to dolls." He briefly considered getting her a new stuffed rabbit, but tossed the thought away. Toy bunnies weren't special enough for his daughter. "I want to get her something...important. But thanks anyway."

.

.

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Three hours later, he had gotten nowhere. Jefferson almost passed Mr. Gold's pawn shop, but something pulled him back through the jangling door. Gold wound up with all sorts of trinkets and magical objects. Surely he could find something fit for Grace.

"Ah, Mr. Jefferson, to what do I owe the honor?" Gold's lilting voice drifted through the stacks of knick knacks as he appeared between the dark curtains.

"It's Grace's birthday. Got anything that might interest her?" He ran his hand over a tattered cloak and scanned the shop for any promising items.

"For your little dearie? I don't think there's much of anything to her liking in here. Stop by the library, I'm sure Belle could manage to part with a few of her books."

"Well, she's not much of a material girl, but I thought you might have something...meaningful." Jefferson picked up an old toy train car and blew off a layer of dust. "I'm not really looking for toys." He set the train back on the shelf.

"What about jewelry? No little girl can resist a shiny new bracelet." Gold pushed a velvet box across the counter. "Any of these are sure to please."

Jefferson glanced at the assortment of wristlets, and was about to move on when he caught a gleam of something blue. He plucked the chain of silver links from the fabric case and dangled it in front of his eyes. The color that had grabbed his attention came from a charm—a tiny rabbit carved from cobalt glass.

"Good choice, Dad, everyone loves a bunny." Gold clamped the lid back on the box and stowed the rest of the jewelry away.

"You wouldn't happen to have any other charms?" The rabbit was a good start, but he thought he might know of some other objects to attach to the bracelet.

"I've got more than enough to suit your needs. Pick any you'd like," said Mr. Gold, producing a second jewelry box.

Jefferson took his time, carefully choosing the charms he thought would make Grace smile. When he had a circlet full of memories, he asked Gold what his price would be. For once, there was no magic involved, but he knew the imp could drive a hard bargain.

"It's yours," promised Mr. Gold. "I do believe I owe you a favor. If it wasn't for you, my Belle might still be locked up beneath the hospital. It's not nearly enough, but let me pay you back, at least in part. Just tell Grace 'happy birthday' from me."

Jefferson smiled and shook Gold's hand. "Thank you. It's been a pleasure doing business with you."

"Just like old times, dearie."

He took Gold's advice and went to pay Belle a visit, leaving with a few storybooks for Grace, compliments of the librarian. After a long day of searching, Jefferson had found the perfect gift for his daughter, but then the real work started. The cake. With years of intricate needlework under his belt, he channeled his skills and nimble fingers to sculpt a masterpiece confection for Grace's small gathering that evening. He iced the last flower just minutes before he had to retrieve her from the bus stop.

Grace gasped with delight when she saw the towering pastry her Papa had created for her. It meant more than all of the Brookshire's catered meals and hired magicians together. Jefferson was going to wait until her friends arrived to give her her gifts, but he just couldn't.

"Grace, I got you something today. Why don't you come open it." He pulled the narrow box from his pocket and held it out for her. She took it, lifted the lid, and held the small chain up to the light,

"A charm bracelet! Oh, Papa it's wonderful!" Grace rushed forward and embraced her father.

"See what they all are?" He pointed out each charm ornament. "There's a rabbit, a teacup, a little mushroom, ballet slippers…"

Grace adored it. Jefferson helped her put it on, and it stayed there. When her friends arrived, Henry, Hansel and Gretel, and some other classmates, she didn't brag, but she was more than happy to give them a closer look.

As Jefferson was putting her to bed that night, her pile of birthday presents on the floor at the foot of her bed, he noticed she was still wearing the bracelet. "Ever gonna take that thing off?" He rumpled her hair.

Grace shook her head no, on the verge of falling asleep. "Thank you Papa, for everything. This was the-" a huge yawn interrupted her. "Best birthday ever."

He pulled the covers up to her chin and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I think so too, baby. Happy birthday."


	5. Missing

**A/N: So with this one, I tried to make it as plausible a situation as possible. I wanted to add some sort of conflict. Let me know what you think, and send me any ideas for future chapters. Thanks for reading!**

Jefferson strode through the door at Granny's, making Ruby jump and splash iced tea on the counter. He quickly scanned the tables, searching for an amber curl or a plaid school skirt.

"Jefferson?" Grumpy hopped down from the bar and approached him cautiously. "Everything alright?"

He must look crazy. He took a deep breath and addressed the dwarf calmly. "Grace didn't get off the school bus. It just came and left without her. I haven't seen her since she got on this morning." He couldn't help the worry that seeped into his voice. Maybe something held her late in class, and she missed the bus. It was a fairly nice day, she might've wanted to walk home. Jefferson tried to think positively but he was growing more and more concerned as each second passed without her coming through the door. "I'll just take a cab up to the school and see if she's there."

"Wait, I'll drive you!" Belle shut her book and met him at the door. "It's the least I could do." He thanked her and they set out towards Storybrooke Elementary school.

As Belle pulled up against the curb, Jefferson ran his eyes over the front steps, where other students were milling about. No Grace. Through the double doors and foyer, the main hallway, even in her 5th grade classroom, still no sign of her.

Back in the car, Belle suggested driving along the route she would have taken if she'd decided to walk. She drove slowly towards the edge of town and up the hill to the house, sweeping both sides of the road and searching the house, too. Jefferson's breath was coming quicker now, and dread started to set in.

"Let's go to the police station and talk to Emma." Belle placed a comforting hand on his arm. "I'm sure she's fine." She gave her best reassuring smile. Jefferson calmed down at Belle's soothing voice. He could see how someone like Rumplestiltskin would find solace in her kindness. The entire ride back to town, he couldn't keep still. His leg shook and his fingers drummed restlessly against the door handle.

"She wouldn't go off on her own. She knows what that would do to me. What if there was an accident, or someone…" He couldn't bring himself to say it. There could be any number or powerful, dangerous people in Storybrooke. Just look at him, undiscovered on the hill, capable of

abducting and threatening innocent people. Who was to say there wasn't another threat?

Jefferson stood by Emma's desk, too worried to sit down. He needed to be out there, searching, doing something other than pondering Grace's whereabouts, but Belle had insisted on getting help from the police.

"Jeff, the most important thing for you to do right now is calm down." Emma rose and took him by the shoulders. "I know how scared you are, but panicking isn't going to do anything to help her. Now," she took a deep breath, and her face took on a look of determination. "Can you think of anyone who might have any reason to hurt Grace. Or you?"

"Grace is a sweetheart, there's no-" his words caught in his throat.

"Jefferson?" Emma asked, clearly startled by his sudden intake of breath.

"Why didn't I think of it before? Regina."

.

.

.

"You really think she would kidnap Grace?" Emma was driving her bug to the Mayor's house, Jefferson in the front seat, seething. "What for?"

Jefferson sighed. He would have had to admit to it at some point. "That wraith, the one Gold sent after her? I might've played a part in that." Emma looked alarmed, but said nothing, so he continued, "I busted Belle out of that asylum, and told Mr. Gold that Regina locked her up there. I knew he would be able to get revenge, since I couldn't get my own. This is all my fault."

"If this was Regina's doing, which it might not be, it's no one's fault but hers." Emma pulled into the driveway of the large manor house. Jefferson was out and headed towards the steps before she even cut the engine.

"Regina!" He burst through the door and hammered up the stairs. "Grace!"

The mayor appeared at the top of the steps and made her way slowly to where Jefferson was standing in the middle. He wanted to charge at her, and past her, to go find Grace, but he had enough sense not to go barreling at a powerful dark witch. "Where is she?" His voice was deathly calm, but there was a furious undertone to it that sent shivers down Emma's spine. "I know she's here. You hand her over right now or so help me I'll-"

"You'll what?" Her voice had a mocking edge to it. "I don't suggest you do anything while I have your darling daughter."

"Why?" Jefferson's voice was rough now. "Why couldn't you have just done something to me? Left Grace out of it?"

All traces of humor gone, Regina put her face only inches before his and growled, "Henry almost died. That apple was for Emma. Not my son! And then you had the nerve to sic Rumplestiltskin on me?" She glared daggers at Jefferson. "I know how it feels to lose a child. It's worse than any pain I could have inflicted on you." She straightened her back and stepped aside. "This is a warning. You're damn lucky I didn't hurt her. Next time you want to beat me, I won't be so nice."

Jefferson pushed past her and plowed into the first room he saw. Grace sat huddled on a neatly-made bed, hugging her knees, her face red and puffy from crying. "Grace!"

"Papa!" He surged forward and scooped her up in his arms, holding her as tight as possible without hurting her.

"Are you hurt at all?" He set her down and scanned for any visible injuries. "If there's a scratch on you anywhere I swear to God…" Upon finding her intact, he gathered her up in his arms again and quickly descended the staircase. Regina was gone, but Emma stood waiting, relief etched on her face. He cradled Grace to his chest and stroked her hair.

"Can we get a ride home?"

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.

.

"Thank you for everything, Emma." Jefferson held Grace's hand on the front porch.

"Anytime, Jefferson." She smiled kindly at the father and daughter. "And don't worry, Regina will have consequences to deal with. I'm just so glad you're okay, Grace. Stay safe." Emma turned to go, but Jefferson grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug. Emma was surprised by the gesture, but returned it, happy to call him a friend.

"Thank you," Jefferson repeated. He and Grace watched as Emma smiled and climbed back into her bug. He turned to his daughter. "Baby, I'm so sorry. Regina was mad at me and she took it out on you. But you're safe now. You're home, with me, and neither of us are going anywhere, right?"

"Right, Papa."


	6. Company

**A/N: My sincerest apologies for the long wait for this new chapter, I've been swamped. Hopefully, I'll be updating on a regular basis, so stay tuned! This chapter was a lot of fun to write, so I hope you enjoy! As always, reviews give me life!**

"Why does a soufflé have to be puffy anyway?" Jefferson grumpily pulled the fallen dessert from the oven. His back hurt from hunching over recipe books, the kitchen was a disaster area, and he was covered in a light dusting of flour. He prodded the chocolate lump. "It tastes exactly the same whether it's got an air bubble or not."

"We don't have time to try again, so it'll have to do." Grace was busy setting the table for twelve. After much pleading and puppy dog eyes, her father had finally given in to hosting a dinner party. She wanted to get to know the residents of Storybrooke, and what better way than sharing a home cooked gourmet meal. Neither Jefferson nor Grace knew the first thing about cooking, but with teamwork and trial and error, they had managed to churn out a fairly respectable dinner.

Grace was practically jumping up and down with excitement, making Jefferson smile in spite of his anxiety. He wasn't very good at parties, but he'd try his best for her. She buzzed around the front rooms, straightening stacks of books and making sure everyone's napkin was folded just the right way. When the doorbell chimed, announcing the arrival of Henry and Co., Grace nearly exploded and bounded to fling the door open. She ushered Henry, Emma, and the Charmings into the living room.

"Mr. and Mrs. Brookshire are coming!" She ran down the front steps to greet them, leaving Jefferson to attend to their guests. Within the hour, Archie, Grumpy, and Belle and Gold arrived, and they all sat down to dinner promptly at six.

Mr. Gold and Emma supplied the witty banter, while Belle kept her plus-one from saying anything too rude about Jefferson's souffé. Henry and Grace took turns sharing funny stories from school, and the Brookshire's told their own tales of their life in the Enchanted forest as merchants in the town where Jefferson and Grace had lived.

"This trifle's killer, sister." Grumpy nodded appreciatively at Grace's dessert.

"I have to agree," Dr. Hopper said with a smile, "She's got your soufflé beat tenfold." He winked at Grace.

"Alright, alright," Jefferson laughed good-naturedly. "I know I'm no Emeril, but that's enough dessert abuse. It's really not that bad," he said thickly through a mouthful of the chocolatey mess to prove his point.

"Oh sure, it tastes like a million dollars, but it looks like something out of a horse's rear end." Mr. Gold jumped as Belle's foot came down on his. "But it's the prettiest pile of manure I've yet to see."

The playful dinner conversation continued well into the evening. When the plates were empty, and their bellies full, the party moved into the sitting room. Henry and Grace just about shoved Jefferson onto the piano bench, urging him to play them a song.

"Only if I'm accompanying some of your best moves." He waved his hand with a flourish, motioning for Grace to dance in the space beside the piano. Jefferson began the theme from Swan Lake expertly, and she couldn't help but start the familiar routine. When they had finished their little show, everyone clapped. "I think we should take this opportunity to make your big announcement. Grace?"

She stepped forward, beaming. "I auditioned for Swan Lake at my ballet school and got the lead! I get to play Odette!"

"I knew you'd get it!" Henry rushed forward to give Grace a high-five before turning back to the rest of the group. "She's the best ballerina there."

"I've no doubt she can out-plié any of us." Snow stepped forward to give her a hug. "Do you by any chance know how to waltz?" When Grace shook her head she grabbed Charming's hand and pulled him beside the piano. "We'll show you then. Take it away, Jefferson."

He struck up a dance tune in three, and Snow and Charming were gliding around the room in no time. Grace watched in awe. "How do you spin in circles and step backward at the same time?"

David smiled at her over his wife's shoulder. "It's all in the leading. I'm quite good at it myself."

Jefferson stood up and offered his hand. "May I have this dance?" Grace ran forward eagerly. Even with a good leader, she had trouble staying in line, and kept stepping on his toes. "I think I have a solution. If you stand on my feet, you won't have to worry about stomping on them." Jefferson lifted his daughter and settled her small feet on top of his. In a matter of seconds, they were gliding too, Grace laughing and beaming up at him. Mr. Gold noticed that the pianist was occupied, and with a flick of his wrist enchanted the instrument to continue the waltz on it's own, before taking Belle as his partner and joining the other dancers. Soon, Emma and Henry, and Mr. and Mrs. Brookshire were circling beside them. Even Grumpy and Archie joined the fun, although they couldn't keep a straight face as they too spun around the piano.

Jefferson couldn't believe it, but he was having more fun than he ever had in Storybrooke. Grace was a picture of delight, and he was surrounded by all of his friends, having a blast goofing around in the sitting room. The magicked piano kept playing until they could dance no more, and they fell onto the couches, laughing and out of breath.

They chatted until midnight, when Emma stood and announced that she and Henry had to leave. He and Grace both groaned in protest.

"Sorry, kid, but you've got school in the morning. I don't wanna hear it when you can't get up at six."

Soon after they left with the Charming's, Gold and Belle excused themselves from the party as well, graciously thanking their hosts.

"Sure you don't want to take home any of my world famous manure soufflé?" Jefferson joked.

"I'll pass on that," said Grumpy, also rising to leave, "but I wouldn't say no to some of that trifle."

Archie was the last to go, only a few minutes after the Brookshires had left. When it was just Grace and Jefferson again, they glanced into the dining room and kitchen, finally noticing the amount of clean-up they had to do. Plates were piled into the sink, the table was laden with scraps, and there were various ingredients covering every surface in the room.

"We've got some work cut out for us, but I vote we deal with it tomorrow." He turned to hear Grace's opinion on the subject to find her curled up on the chaise lounge, fast asleep. He smiled down at her, glad that the night turned out as wonderful as she had planned.

He lifted his daughter into his arms and carried her up the staircase towards her bedroom, trying hard not to jostle her awake. Jefferson tucked her in and kissed her goodnight, recalling all of the evening's fun events, and laughing at his original reluctance. He really ought to listen to Grace more often.


	7. Celebration

**A/N: This one's kind of short, but it made me happy, so I hope you like it c: The next chapter will probably end up a bit longer, maybe even two parts.**  
**HINT: It involves tents. Stay tuned and, as always, review and leave any suggestions! Thanks!**

Jefferson usually woke to the morning sun streaming through his window. This morning, however, he was startled awake by a loud crash coming from the first floor. Confused, and still groggy from sleep, he pulled on his bath robe and shuffled down the stairs. He was met with a mixture of delicious smells wafting from the kitchen.

"Grace?" He turned the corner to find his daughter hastily sweeping up the shards of a smashed plate.

"Sorry Papa, I knocked it off the counter." She dumped the mess into the trash bin. "But go back to sleep! I can't very well bring you breakfast in bed if you're not in it."

"Wow, you made all this yourself?" He ruffled her hair as he moved to inspect the dishes laid out on the island. Grace was clearly the better cook out of the two. The assortment of breakfast foods looked and smelled divine. "It looks great, but what did you go to all this trouble for?"

She smiled at Jefferson and pointed at the calendar hanging on the refrigerator. "I think you're forgetting what day it is."

He squinted to see the tiny writing printed at the bottom of Sunday, June 16. Father's Day. He never had reason to celebrate the holiday over the years, and it must have slipped from his mind. He turned to Grace, then to the special breakfast she had made for him, and back to his daughter. He rushed forward and pulled her into a hug, as tight as possible without hurting her. Jefferson's heart was surely going to explode if he got any happier.

"Thank you, baby. This is the first Father's Day here in Storybrooke that I've gotten to spend with you. I'm thankful just to have you here, but breakfast is wonderful, too."

The food disappeared in a matter of minutes, with Grace's help of course. This meant that they now had the entire day to spend together, and no idea what to do. In the end, Grace came up with something.

"Let's go find mushrooms, and play hide-and-seek in the forest!"

.

.

.

It was the perfect day to be outside. It wasn't too sunny or warm, but the overcast sky showed no signs of rain, so they trekked out into the woods surrounding the house, making sure not to go too far and accidentally cross the town line. Being out with Grace almost made Jefferson forget the last 28 years. It was as if he'd never left her, and they were just having fun together, getting ready for market tomorrow. As it turned out, Storybrooke didn't have many mushrooms to choose from, and none of them seemed particularly appetizing. Instead, they spent the rest of the morning taking turns hiding and seeking.

It was days like these that reminded Jefferson how lucky he was. Grace thought today was a time to honor him for being her Papa, but he thought there should be a day to honor her for being his daughter. Last month, on Mother's day, it was a sad occasion. They both had years to deal with their loss, but when all the other children in Grace's class at school were making cards to take home to their moms, she couldn't. Instead, her teacher told her to make a card for Jefferson. Maybe they should tweak that holiday a bit.

"Grace?" The pair was walking home, having spent the last hour playing in the trees. "It doesn't seem fair that I should get a special day and you don't. How about we make the second sunday in May, every year, national Daughter's Day? At least in our family."

Grace smiled up at him. "I think that sounds like a good idea."

.

.

.

They decided to go to Granny's for dinner that night. He ran into Emma and Snow, who also wished him a happy Father's Day. He didn't realize how much he would come to love this holiday. Everyone he saw that day had a kind word for him and it reassured the fact that he was a dad again. For 28 years, he'd been an outsider. He had a daughter, but she wasn't his, and he certainly didn't feel anything like a father to her. But now, he was, and he always would be, and that reality had him sitting on cloud nine all day. Just being with Grace, chatting over a few hamburgers, was more of a gift than he ever could have imagined.

When Ruby came to collect their plates, she brought over two thick slices of chocolate cake from the stand on the counter. "It's on the house, Dad." She winked at Jefferson and went back to the register.

As they were leaving the diner, he passed Charming on his way to meet Emma and Snow. "Hey Jeff, happy Father's Day!" He clapped him on the back.

"You'd think I was everyone's dad." All their friends and neighbors had been delighted to see him today. Grace had quickly become a favorite with all of the residents of Storybrooke, but he didn't think they cared all that much about him. "And same to you."

Charming grinned. "We're all just so happy for you. Everyone knows your story now, and we see how glad you are to have Grace back." He turned to her. "Your Papa loves you a whole lot."

She giggled. "I know. And I love him too. I wish people liked him this much all the time, I could get used to the free cake." Charming and Jefferson both laughed.

"Come on kid, it's late." He kissed the top of her head, and father and daughter started the walk back home.


End file.
